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THE HEALTH RISKS OF PROLONGED FACE-MASKS WEARING

Negative Results · August 2020

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 THE HEALTH RISKS OF PROLONGED FACE-MASKS WEARING

M. A. Islam1* M. Z. Ahsan1,2

1
Department of Physics, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
2
Department of Physics, Military Institute of Science and Technology Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh

*maislam.buet.phy@gmail.com

Abstract: Present pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has stunned the world civilization.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no vaccines or medicine against COVID-19. Under this

situation, the world health organization has suggested some guidelines like maintaining social

distancing, wearing face masks, hand gloves, personal protective equipment (PPE), frequently

washing hand and using sanitization and even spray disinfectant in the whole body for the people

across the world to protect themselves from the infection of COVID-19 pathogens named as

severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2). Other than following the

guidelines, no options are there at this pandemic situation to date but the adversaries of

conventional face mask need to bring in the notice that may cause some infectious diseases like

lung-cancer, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia, and ultimate to the higher health risk because of their

prolonged use. The causative factors for such infections/diseases due to prolonged use of the

conventional face mask are presented in this short communication or report to benefit the society

as well as mankind.

Keywords: COVID-19, Face-Mask

The negative impact of using conventional face-mask

The wearing of face masks is one of the protection means of human respitory system from direct

attack of virus, virus-like particulates, dust, poisonous gases and so on. Thereby it is suggested

by the world health organization to use in on going pendamic situation across the world to reduce

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the contamination rate side by side protective measures as spelt out in their guide lines.

However, the advarise of prolonged use of the conventional face masks those may couse severe

health hazards in the days to come and thereby those should be taken in account. Therefore

knowledge of those advarsaries is of great importance for us. In this section, we have discussed

about plausible negative effects of using the conventional face masks to make aware the mass

people across the globe. During breathing, we emit various types of harmful substances like CO2,

N2, O2, and water droplets [1]. Along with exhaled particles, at the time of talking, coughing and

sneezing volatile- and semi-volatile substances may carry important biomarkers such as exhaled

nitric oxide [2, 3]. If anyone wears face mask then the exhaled particles cannot spread into the air

rather they react between themselves and leading to HNO3, H2CO3, and NO2 , which directly

infect mucous membranes and the lower and upper respiratory tracts [4-6]. Besides, prolonged

use of face masks can cause bad breath that enter into the stomach and causes inflammation of

the stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, gastric, diabetes, kidney failure or a liver malfunction and other

serious infections in the digestive organs and ultimate to even death [7]. The local face masks

made of cotton cloth or tissues are being used for the people of developing and underdeveloped

countries bearing in the present pandemic COVID-19 situation bear various types of nanopores.

When these conventional local face masks are worn, various nanopores released from them

during inhale and entered into the lung and stomach. The inhauled nanopores from these local

conventional masks result in inflammation of the lung, cause shortness of breath and lung cancer

after their prolonged use, which may ultiates to death [8]. The local conventional face masks are

usually loose-fitting and thereby found to be ineffective to protect virus and virus-like particulate

from their contamination. Moreover, the exhauld particles directly hit the eyes to each other due

to loose-fitting of these local masks and resulting in the degeneration of cerebro-retinal [9]. The

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N95 face mask is the most common particulate filtering face piece respirator [10], which is used

from protection against particulates but not against gases or vapors [11]. Although N95 masks

protect the human being from external particulate it has put users at health risk for causative

possible diseases. N95 mask users feel discomfort because of mask tightness and difficulty

breathing [12]. N95 masks users have to suffer from severe headaches because it’s use for

prolonged duration [13]. Besides, prolonged wearing of N95 face-masks cause hypoxemia (an

abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood), resulting in glucose breakdown and endangered

lactic acid rise [13, 14]. Additionally, use of N95 face-masks causes chest discomfort, reduces

the partial pressure of O2, and increases respiratory adverse effects in End-Stage Renal Disease

patients [15]. Also, N95 face-mask users suffer from hypercapnia [13,16]. Hypercapnia is also

known as hypercarbia that results in CO2 retention in the lung and leading to abnormally

elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood. It can also be caused by rebreathing

someone's own exhaled CO2 by wearing N95 face-masks or other tight-fitting masks [17].

Hypercapnia causes dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, feeling disoriented, flushing of

the skin, dimed sight, hearing reduction, shortness of breath, and irregularities of the heartbeat.

And also show severe symptoms that include a loss of consciousness, coma, hyperventilation,

twitching muscles, and seizures, among others.

Conclusion:

Prolonged use of face-mask does not play an effective role in protecting against COVID-19 but

rather it causes severe diseases like lung cancer, Diarrhea, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia and

ultimate to cause death. Wearing of face mask is not discouraged rather encouraged according to

the guidelines of the world health organization in this pendemic situation all ove the world.

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However, some adversaries/negative effects of waring conventional face mask for prolonged

duration have been highlighted in a quest of paying due attention for resolving the related issues

in the days to come.

References:

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9hycdm/revision/3

[2] Horváth, I., Barnes, P. J., Loukides, S., Sterk, P. J., Högman, M., Olin, A.-C., …Vink, T.

J. (2017). A European Respiratory Society technical standard: exhaled biomarkers in

lung disease. European Respiratory Journal, 49(4), 1600965.

[3] Pecchiari, M., Santus, P., Radovanovic, D., &DʼAngelo, E. (2017). Acute effects of long-

acting bronchodilators on small airways detected in COPD patients by single-breath N2

test and lung P-V curve. Journal of Applied Physiology, 123(5), 1266–1275.

[4] Levy, J. I., Lee, K., Yanagisawa, Y., Hutchinson, P., & Spengler, J. D.

(1998). Determinants of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in indoor ice skating rinks.

American Journal of Public Health, 88(12), 1781–1786.,

[5] https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/435ef4eb-a777-7265-5ab8-f4e8d306b980 , pg39

[6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313110

[7] https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/health/how-combat-your-bad-breath-now-that-you-smell-

under-your-mask/fBWTQefc3hcadfOCkyEQ7L/

[8] Lai, P. S., &Christiani, D. C. (2013). Long-term respiratory health effects in textile

workers. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, 19(2), 152–157.

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 [9] Sevel, D., & Freedman, A. (1967). Cerebro-retinal degeneration due to carbon dioxide

poisoning. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 51(7), 475–482.

[10] "NIOSH-Approved N95 Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators - A Suppliers

List". U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 2020-03-19.

Retrieved 2020-03-27.

[11] "Respirator Trusted-Source: Selection FAQs". U.S. National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-03-28.

[12] KHOO, K.-L., LENG, P.-H., IBRAHIM, I. B., & LIM, T. (2005). The changing

face of healthcare worker perceptions on powered air-purifying respirators during the

SARS outbreak. Respirology, 10(1), 107–110.

[13] Lim, E. C. H., Seet, R. C. S., Lee, K.-H., Wilder-Smith, E. P. V., Chuah, B. Y. S.,

& Ong, B. K. C. (2006). Headaches and the N95 face-mask amongst healthcare

providers. ActaNeurologicaScandinavica, 113(3), 199–202.

[14] https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/masks-dangerous-health/

[15] Kao TW, Huang KC, Huang YL, Tsai TJ, Hsieh BS, Wu MS. (2004), The

physiological impact of wearing an N95 mask during hemodialysis as a precaution

against SARS in patients with end-stage renal disease. J Formos Med Assoc 103, 624–

628.

[16] Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society.

The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia

2004;24(Suppl. 1):1–160.

[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercapnia

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